In this sequel to 'Queen of Coin and Whispers', Lia and Xania's adopted daughter, Emri is coming of age. She's just been reunited with her estranged cousin, Melisande, when Lady Winter, who everyone thought was just a myth whisks them away and forces them to complete a set of tasks before time runs out. The cousins are forced to put their differences aside and co-operate.

While I really loved the characters in this novel, I found the plot and pacing lacking at times.

However I really appreciated that this is set in a world where people can just be queer, no big deal.

I would like to thank Netgalley for allowing me early access to 'Daughter of Winter and Twilight'.

This novel goes through the story of four children destined to be rulers, with their paths intertwining in the most bizarre and terrifying way. Although the crux of this novel had me hooked, the beginning was slow and very confusing to understand. A lot more background information would have been preferable about the protagonists and their families history and the events that had led up to this moment. I also think that the aspect of God's within this novel, although a very surprising twist, needed more prior development also as from reading the first few chapters I was under the impression that the story was about love and becoming an heir rather than a quest with the supernatural. A final note is in regards to the final chapter, which I found slightly unnecessary.

Overall, the quest was fun and exciting to read - however, developments to the story line are defiantly needed.

*EDIT* I was unaware that this was a companion novel upon reading which would explain a lot of my thoughts.

Daughter of Winter and Twilight by Helen Corcoran

Thank you Netgalley for an arc for an unbiased review.

This is a follow on from the book Queen of coin and Whispers. Like that book, it is set firmly in the Fantasy YA bracket, and I feel it does that category justice. Furthermore, as someone very much out of that group on age, I was still able to settle in and enjoy this.
Xania and Lia do feature, but this book is much more about their adopted daughter Emri, who navigates the visit of an estranged cousin, Melisande as well as other trials and tribulations.
Like Queen of Coin and Whispers, this is a book that not everyone will enjoy. It doesn't have the highest stakes, or necessarily the highest fantasy settings. This book is very character driven, and I love the intricacies that it brings. Particularly watching how it unfolds as characters begin to face past trauma and mistakes. As well as how present actions impact now.
We also once again get that queer representation, that is beautifully brought in as just part of who they are. That certainly doesn't mean it is too casual.
I felt the book overall was brought together by beautiful prose, with achingly beautiful atmosphere and characters.
As I say, I recognise this style of book isn't necessarily for everyone, but I felt this was a worthy successor to Queen of Coin and Whispers and I'm happy to recommend and give 5/5 stars.

Daughter of Winter and Twilight is a beautifully-crafted atmospheric YA fantasy. It picks up a little while after Queen of Coin and Whispers ended and features Lia and Xania’s adoptive daughter. While reading the first book can provide a little bit more understanding of these characters and this world, it isn’t necessary. Daughter of Winter and Twilight stands up just fine on its own, and recaps enough of the first book’s events that if you forgot everything (like me), it’s easy to catch up.

In this book, Emri is grappling with the intricacies of foreign politics as her cousin, Melisande, visits court. Those problems are quickly replaced by much bigger ones, though, when both heirs are ripped from the castle and thrust into a magical adventure assembled by ancient gods.

One of the reasons I think I enjoyed this book more than the first is that Helen Corcoran has clearly grown as a writer. Her voice is more clear, her characters more unique, and the story more interesting. I don’t remember how much Queen of Coin and Whispers described the setting, but Daughter of Winter and Twilight goes a bit deeper into the world building. I understood the world better and found it easier to follow the story in this book.

That being said, the plot did have its ups and downs. It would have almost been better as a standalone, without the connection to Queen, because this series didn’t really need magic. The politics in the first book were interesting enough on their own, and the new addition of magic and gods to this world felt a tiny bit forced. I did love the whole facing-their-past theme of the book, though, and the way the characters slowly unraveled the tensions between them and confronted the traumas and mistakes of their pasts was very fascinating. And I did enjoy the gods. I thought the concepts behind them were interesting, and I liked the distinctive personalities tied to their domains.

Speaking of characters, that is another one of Corcoran’s strengths. I loved glimpsing Lia and Xania’s life as a happy ruling couple, the awkwardness between Emri and Theo, and the tension between her and Melisande. Every character was unique, with stories and personalities that all tied together as they struggled through their little mountain quest. (I also adored Gabi, as grumpy as she was.)

To conclude; this book was very good. The casual queer representation (even without a major romance storyline!) was lovely to see, and the story and world were both very unique. If you enjoy politics, mythology, and icy worlds (like The Winter Duke), you’ll enjoy this one.

This was an enjoyable read. I think it could have used some editing down as the beginning was quite slow. There are a lot of characters to keep track of though, so maybe the lengthy beginning was meant to help with that. My favorite part was whole quest aspect of it that happened in the mountains. I did struggle with finding a purpose for the overall story, like the stakes were very small and there wasn’t enough conflict to make me care about the fate of these heirs and their kingdoms. I liked the writing though.

DNF at around 25%

I wanted to love this book as the idea of the royal court intrigue really interested me and I’m sure some people will love this book but unfortunately is just wasn’t for me.

I read the first book and wanted to give this one a chance too and while there were some improvements (only one POV), it was still plagued with some of the things I really didn’t enjoy about the first book.

Sometimes I felt like the book tried to hard to describe things, but somehow I felt more confused by what was happening and who was who, despite usually being a reader of high fantasy.

A lot of the internal monologue I found my eyes glazed over and I just couldn’t connect with the story of characters.

Thank you NetGally for the ARC!

I recently read "Daughter of Winter and Twilight" and unfortunately, it did not resonate with me. The book follows the story of Emri, an adopted heir and daughter of two queens, as she navigates a diplomatic visit from her estranged cousin, Melisande. However, their plans are derailed when they are attacked and taken to a magical realm where they encounter the mythical Lady Winter.

While the premise of the book had potential, I found myself struggling to connect with the story and the characters. The plot felt disjointed at times, and the pacing was uneven, making it difficult for me to fully engage with the narrative.

Additionally, the character development fell short for me. I had a hard time relating to Emri and Melisande, and their interactions often felt forced and lacking in authenticity. I also found it challenging to invest in their journey and the obstacles they faced.

Furthermore, the world-building in the book left me wanting more. The magical realm and the concept of Lady Winter had the potential to be captivating, but unfortunately, they were not fully explored or developed to their fullest extent.

Overall, "Daughter of Winter and Twilight" simply wasn't the right fit for me. While others may find enjoyment in the story and its elements, I personally struggled to connect with the characters and the plot. I would rate this book with two stars, acknowledging that it may have appeal to readers with different preferences.

After I liked the first book of the author, I was eager to read more. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the sequel in advance!

Daughter of Winter and Twilight is about Emri, adopted daughter of Queen Aurelia and Xania from the first book. Because Emri’s birth father was a traitor, she faces a lot of scrutiny at court and struggles to find her footing. Even more, she is still suffering from the effects of her abusive childhood before she was adopted and, on top of that, a recent heartbreak. If that wasn’t enough, rumors appear about the resurrection of the gods. However, Emri’s nation has long since abandoned worship of the gods and their patron goddess, Lady Winter, is not known for her mercy.

Even though it has been a few months since I read what happened in the first book, it was easy to find my way into the story. I can see how it is meant to stand alone, which certainly helped. The beginning focuses a lot on Emri’s life in the palace and I appreciate these insights a lot. She is a sympathetic character and made me curious about unveiling her past and the way her character is going to develop.

Unfortunately, the book takes its time with that. It’s not until the second third that the promised magic starts to be relevant. As much as I liked the beginning, it felt like it took forever to get anywhere. Both plot threads - Emri’s introduction to court and the challenge of her god - feel disjointed. Reason for that is that it includes a very sudden switch in setting and all the previous characters are replaced (with one exception) with new ones. There isn't much to connect those two parts of the book.

In addition to that, I felt like the overall goal of the plot wasn’t very clear. It makes sense in hindsight and ties in to the themes, but it still felt like there was only little initial motivation for the characters (including the gods). Emri and her companions react more than they act, which does fit very well into the overarching questions of the book - how independent are your choices when you are being manipulated by gods? Still, it takes a while to figure out those motives which doesn't make the pacing feel any faster.

Aside from those negative aspects, I still liked the book a lot! Emri’s personal growth and her relationships to the other characters feel authentic. The way she adapts to the new environment and how she is forced to face her fears kept pulling me in. I loved seeing their little group grow together and was sorry to say goodbye to them at the end of the book.

Compared to the first book, this one leans more into the worldbuilding. The other nations become relevant, not only in their politics but also in their myths an stance on religion. I liked those glimpes in their cultures, mostly because they influences the main plot as well. The focus is less on one country and its queen, but rather a group of heirs from different countries and how they each deal with the differing expectations that rest upon them.

In the end, I recommend this sequel for anyone who liked the first book or who wants to dip their toes into this world but is too intimidated by the politics of the first one! Pacing problems aside, I was able to enjoy Daughter of Winter and Twilight a lot.

Thanks to NetGalley and O'Brien Press for the ARC.of Daughter of winter and twilight by Helen Corcoran.

A beautiful and solid sequel.

The premise of this story is a good one. It’s got trials and tests, friendships and political alliances and magic. All the ingredients for a perfect recipe.

Politics and faith feature heavily in this book; with so many parallels to the real world that it felt insightful.

The writing is beautifully descriptive and strong in terms of world building.

At times I found the plot a little confusing and in particular the roles of the gods/goddesses.

The depiction of family relationships and particularly parent/child relationships were beautifully done.

An enjoyable read

I feel more or less the same about this one as I did about Queen of Coin and Whispers. Primarily that I now fall outside the target audience for a lot of YA fantasy. So I did enjoy this story – set 20 yrs after the first book and following the two queens’ adopted daughter – but some of the plot didn’t really hold water for me in book 1 and that was exacerbated here. If you loved the first one, I’m sure you’ll love this although it has switched up the sub genres a bit by incorporating magic. Liked it but probably would have loved it ten years ago.

This was a solid sequel/companion novel to Queen of Coin and Whispers. I really liked the setting of Edar in the first book, and it was nice to get some insight into the other countries in this world. One thing that I surprised myself with liking about Queen of Coin and Whispers was the lack of magic. It reminded me a lot of The Winner's Curse, where you only have to focus on the political intrigue since there's no magic system to learn. This book brings back dormant magic, but the focus remains on the political and interpersonal relationships among the heirs to the four kingdoms. I liked Emri, and Melisande really grew on me. I do think that the situation they, along with the other two heirs, were in, served as more of a plot device to develop Emri's character. This is a very character-driven book, rather than a plot-driven one, especially compared to the first book. Speaking of the first book, I loved seeing Lia and Xania again! I do wish there had been more Matthias, though.

Helen Corcoran's "Daughter of Winter and Twilight" is a captivating YA fantasy novel that promises to captivate readers from start to finish. In a world where magic lies dormant but not extinguished, the narrative revolves around Emri, a young woman adopted by two queens. The story takes an unexpected twist when Emri and her cousin Melisande are ambushed by a powerful magical entity and transported to a secluded mountain temple. Trapped alongside other young royals, they are held captive and forced to confront Lady Winter's perilous trials, with their lives hanging in the balance. Throughout the book, the plot unfurls with enthralling surprises, keeping readers on the edge of their seats, while the characters are crafted with depth and believability, making them relatable and compelling. I loved this and was so intrigued by the world building aspect!

Heroes are brave. And always foolish.

What happened when a powerful God have your heart and has evil intentions?
Emri has a quest with her friends she has to fulfil God's challenge in the given time, but she has her past demons and nightmares.

I didn't connect with this book much because it's a sequel and I didn't read the prequel of this series and don't know about Emri’s past, but I like the plot very much and the idea.

Thanks to NetGalley and O'Brien Press for providing the ARC.

Taking place many years after the first book, and it did not disappoint! This story follows our previous MC's daughter, Emri. I loved Queen of Coin and Whispers and that we still got glimpses of Lia and Xania. But Emri is not their mothers' daughter, and in more ways than one.

The world-building is expanded as we learn more about the forgotten Gods and follow Emri and a few key royals on an epic adventure.

4.5!

Darker and more mature than Queen, and a lovely sequel to Queen.
I was happy to come back to this universe and discover a new part of the map, as well as a new cast of characters

First of all thanks to Netgalley & Helen Corcoran for the eARC for an honest review, I really appreciate it.

This book was so hard to understand, a total DNF..

I was actually really hyped up about this book from the very start with the map and the names of the royal family and everyone, but there were just SO MANY unnecessary details and stories to keep up with. It was too much.
Emri & Melisande were absolutely so cute. Fighting together and always with each other. However, that was not enough to keep me going to the last page.
It may also be the result of me not having read the Queen of Coin and Whispers yet, ´ćause its still on my tbr list. I will try to read this book again after i read Queen of Coin and Whispers.

I really enjoyed with premise of this book. It was a very interesting story, however some of the world building was a bit disjointed. Overall though I did enjoyed this book, especially as a follow up to Queen of Coin and Whispers.

Thank you to NetGalley and O’Brien Press for the opportunity to read rage and review this arc which will be available September 4,2023.

These are my thoughts.

I didn’t like it. It was lackluster. The Queer rep felt forced not a naturally occurring thing. I honestly was bored and rolled my eyes many times.

I enjoyed this book although I found some parts lost my concentration and I had to keep rereading. But that is my only criticism.